Is it possible on a d810 for the image counter to show shots taken instead of shots remainng

This is not something I would use all the time, but in many cases, for me, the number of shots I've taken is more important than shots remaining on the card. Is there a way to show this in the lcd display?

I am not aware of such an option (to show the number of images captured, rather than an estimate of the remaining memory card capacity).

If you review an image on the back LCD, the number in the upper right corner tells you the current folder number and the image number. If you are looking at the last image taken, that number is the number of shots taken (unless you've taken so many that the camera created a new folder)

The image number in the review is the total since the camera was last reset (or rolled over). You could elect to have the number start over each time a blank card was inserted, but most people find it more useful to have a cumulative total. That way the folder number and image number, together, constitute a unique identifier.

A freshly charged battery stores the number of shutter clicks since it was installed. You can view this number in the 'Battery Info' menu item. Not sure if this is helpful.

 

However, some 3rd party batteries only store the number of shutter clicks since the camera was last turned on.

Image review in the right mode gives you the current image number, as Dieter said. If you're on the latest image and go to the "next" one, you can see the number of the first image you have recorded, hopefully leaving you a simple mental arithmetic problem - if you can't be bothered with the suggestion of resetting the naming counter. Neither solution allows for you having deleted image in camera, though.

As those above have said, depending on what you're shooting, resetting the frame counter at the beginning of the day's shoot, shows you the last frame's number, which is pretty much what you want to know.

 

I.e. When I'm out horse event shooting, I'll reset the counter first thing, and then as the day progresses every time I review an image I'll see how many shutter actuations I've made. This isn't quite the same as number of images I've now got as any deletions I've made in the field don't count.

 

It does mean that back in the lorry park after the close of play, you know you've taken 2426 shots that day. Busy day 4500, slow day 1500.

 

Shots remaining has always been very conservative with Nikon DSLRs, especially regarding JPEGs, added to which you can choose Optimum Size or Optimum Quality aswell as Basic, Normal or Fine.

The D1 and D2 series, along with the lower end cameras of these generations, always showed both taken and remaining and I don't think there was any way to change that.

 

Unfortunately, the "shots taken" feature was lost sometime around the D3 generation(someone can correct me on that-I don't have a D3 at all, nor do I have a D300 handy). That's just another handy little thing that's gone away-along with mass storage mode on cameras.

The daily count is easy enough to ascertain when you backup the results. With Nikon, I look at the date taken and select from that point onward. With cards holding 128 GB and more, it's not necessary nor practical to reformat daily. Sony cameras have the option of creating a new directory each day while keeping consecutive image numbers. That makes daily backups easy.

 

A D3 counts up to 9999, then updates the directory (folder). That's the same as earlier Nikons I've owned, and probably newer ones too. My Leica M9 counts to 999,999 before starting over. I'm not there yet. Sony tops out at 9999, which would be a lot of shooting for one day (remotely possible at 20 fps).

Interesting, Ben. Thank you. And yes, I agree about the mass storage mode - I recently forgot my card reader on a trip, thought I'd just download straight from the camera, then thought... ah.

Option d6 controls the "file number sequence" - create a new folder before the shoot and upon review of the latest image on the back LCD, the number of files shot that day is displayed in the upper right corner. Shoot more than 9999 and a new folder is created - I would think you'd know when you shot THAT much.

It's slightly unfortunate to have to remember to change the numbering each time, which is why I just let it roll and do some mental arithmetic instead. This would be a trivial addition to the "if only Nikon gave us a basic programmable interface" list, though - it would be a Small Matter of Programming to allow the numbering scheme to be date-dependent, or to reset when the card is empty.

How important is it to know how many shots have been taken? It is sufficient to take enough to cover the subject, so the number remaining is paramount. I sometimes work from a list of desired shots, which I can check off as I go. Each shot (scene) may require several images. I would never go into a job without at least twice the memory I think I will need. Some jobs have been pretty big between backups, so with a dozen or more large cards, I will run out of space at between 7000 and 20,000 images (depending on the camera).

I've rolled over 8 times with a Nikon D3, which means each image number will show up as many as 8 times in a search. If they're associated with unique directories, you know they're not duplicates. If you reset the count each time, you might get 100x as many hits. Data management is an issue even if you only take pictures of grandchildren on holidays, much less if you are a serious amateur or professional.

And yes, I agree about the mass storage mode - I recently forgot my card reader on a trip, thought I'd just download straight from the camera, then thought... ah.

 

IF you use Lightroom, it's possible to plug the camera into your computer and import through Lightroom. This works with Apple Photos also(and probably with Aperture, although I'd guess you'd be up a creek if you have a camera that came out after Apple killed Aperture).

 

Still, though, it would be really great to have direct access to the card like you could with older cameras. From a fast CF, transfers from the camera over USB are fast. Of course, the same is true of a card reader(probably more so) but still.

Ben - I use a Mac and Adobe software, but my workflow is "copy everything onto local storage, then deal with it from there". I've never fired up Lightroom (I usually start with DxO and import to Photoshop if there's something non-trivial to do). On this occasion, though, I was visiting a friend who wanted to see some images that happened still to be on my camera - and all I had with me were Linux systems. I think I'd forgotten to bring my usual SD card with me too (I'd left the cards and the reader at home and found a spare CF card in my camera bag) so I couldn't use the reader in the laptop. We eventually coped, but it would have been easier if the camera had just presented its cards as a mass storage device; I'm not sure I've ever really understood the argument for doing anything else (presumably MTP?), especially on a system that's not actually using DRM for any part of its workflow.

 

Anyway, a perfect storm that I normally avoid. Though I'll have the fun task of finding new readers for a D850, since my otherwise exemplary Lexar readers don't know about XQD or UHS-II. Anyone found a good option that reads XQD + UHS-II SD?

The D1 and D2 series, along with the lower end cameras of these generations, always showed both taken and remaining and I don't think there was any way to change that.

I had totally forgotten that the D2 series shows both the number of captures and the remaining estimate. Had to pull out my D2X and checked.

You could just reset the counter each time, and change the file name either in the camera or in the computer. I've forgotten to reset a couple of times on trips, which makes for annoying sequencing later. Last time, I just advanced the file name by one letter. BAA_0001 will follow AAA_9999 in a Windows sort. If you assume no need for "DSC" the possible combinations of letters and numbers are enormous, and you could take millions of pictures without conflicts.

Thanks for all the suggestions. The battery info suggestion is what will likely work for me (rodeo Joe, thanks). I always go out with a freshly charged battery and I can deal if I have to swap batteries along the way.

Yes, the upper right of the review shows info also, but it shows the number on that card, which, for me, may or may not be the current total, IOW it may have some shots taken previously. I realize many go out with a fresh empty card...

I sometimes don't.

 

Mention has been made of "resetting the frame counter" and I admit ignorance on how this is done or what it refers to.

 

Ed_Ingold wrote:

How important is it to know how many shots have been taken? It is sufficient to take enough to cover the subject, so the number remaining is paramount. I sometimes work from a list of desired shots, which I can check off as I go.

A valid point and in many circumstances the proper way of doing a shoot. My circumstance is different. My basis for this question was shooting people and costumes in the French Quarter on Mardi Gras Day--last Tuesday. It was a curiosity issue AND a "heads up" for how much post work lay ahead, to get them done by Ash Wednesday-the next day. It did not stop me from shooting more, but just another bit of info in the equation of timely posting. Your point about the remaining shots ava would of course trump shots taken in the event of a battery dying, and it is a number I would not ignore at all.

 

Thanks, again,all, for the info...and I really miss a printed manual!

Maybe my terminology was unclear. In the menu (setup on some, custom on others) there is a choice for "file number sequence" which changes how the camera counts files, whether restarting with each card, or counting to 10K regardless of card. It includes a reset that puts the sequence to zero. If you do this at the beginning of a session the file number will reflect the number of images taken in that session. The only problem here is that if you need to mix those images in one folder or directory with those from another session, you'll have to change the file name so as not to overwrite. You can do it in the camera or, if that's too tedious, put the files in their own folder on the computer and change the name there before proceeding. If you do it in the camera, you can use any combinations of three letters and number, and there's no particular limitation in the computer. You could rename "DSC_1234" to "February16_1234" or whatever.

John: I'm trusting that you know you can get the D810 manual here?

 

The "File number sequence" which Matthew refers to is custom option d6 in the menu, on page 324 of the manual. See also p.295 for the "File Naming" option in the shooting menu (which lets you change the "DSC" bit).

 

I hope that helps!

Thanks. Matthew, and, yes, that would be a problem. I typically don't change file names in the camera for a specific shoot, but do so when I import them into my iMac, and then again when I have editted.

Yes, Andrew, thanks for the reply. I have the PDF on my phone and on my desktop--and use them. But the printed manual has advantages, and the pdf is sometimes a PITA to use.